Dead Girl Walking
by gotmoreissuesthanvogue
Summary: Rebecca Lee, a compassionate defense lawyer, gets the opportunity of a life time when Captain America himself asks her to defend his best friend, James Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier. She takes on the case, but as she delves into the past, she realizes this will be a lot more complicated than she thought. When the trial comes closer, things get personal very, very quickly
1. Chapter 1

Bucky lowered his head and closed his eyes as Steve sat down in front of him. He heard Steve sigh, then place a file on the table with a thud. A deep wave of humiliation spread over him, causing an uncomfortable heat to crawl up his neck.

"It's not good, Buck," Steve said softly "Not good at all."

Bucky placed his hands on the table in front of him, his hand cuffs clattering loudly against the table. He looked up at Steve, and almost shuddered. His friend, who was usually filled with hope and passion, seemed to have lost all his gusto. Steve's usually bright eyes glittered dully and told Bucky one thing: Things were going to get difficult.

"The list of charges goes on and on," Steve explained, his voice barely audible "There are multiple charges of murder, conspiracy, attempted murder, theft . . . You get what I mean."

"I want to see the descriptions of all the charges."

"I don't think—"

"Let me see!"

Steve slowly slid the file over to Bucky, who shifted his hands so he would be able to pick up the file. It was difficult, maneuvering his hands in the hand cuffs, but he would have to make it work. Of course, he had the ability to snap them off of him without a moment's hesitation, but he knew better. Everything was looking horrid for him, and he knew he had to be as peaceful as possible.

As he opened the file, his heart started hammering in his chest, and his ears started ringing. He swallowed even though his mouth felt as dry as a desert. The first count of murder caught his eye. It was for Howard Stark. He slammed the file shut and pushed it back to Steve.

"I remember."

"Tony's pressing charges. I don't believe he'll drop them at any point. His mind is set on this . . . I tried to talk to him but— That doesn't matter. What we need to work on is building a case in your favor, one that'll convince a jury to let you go."

"I may be crazy, Steve, but I'm not stupid . . . Look at this. I don't have a chance of ever getting my name cleared."

"Don't say that. We'll figure this out."

"Has the state assigned me a lawyer?"

It had been years and years since Bucky lived as a normal citizen in America, but he faintly remembered some of their rules regarding criminal procedures. If the defendant did not hire their own lawyer, they would be assigned one from the state. Bucky knew he couldn't hire a lawyer, mainly because he had no access to money and highly doubted any lawyer in their right mind would defend him.

"They did," Steve murmured slowly.

"Where is he?"

"He quit."

"What?"

"He didn't want to take your case, so he quit."

"But why?"

"I don't know."

Bucky knew Steve knew why the lawyer quit . . . His friend just did not have the heart to tell him that. It was a sweet gesture, but Bucky needed to stay grounded in reality. He knew he needed a lawyer as quickly as possible because Tony was chasing their tails, trying to get this case to court as soon as possible.

"We should hire a lawyer, Bucky. We need to get someone good, someone better than the state provided ones."

"No one is crazy enough to take this on, Steve. It's useless. We need to—"

"I heard of a girl, one who I bet will help us, even if it is just to give us some advice."

Bucky sighed.

"Who?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

"Mom, no!"

Rebecca Lee smiled to herself, and leaned over to prod her daughter out of bed.

Like any normal nine year old, Rebecca's daughter, June, didn't want to get out of bed to go to school. After all, school wasn't nearly as exciting as June would like it to be. She hated listening to teachers drone on and on about things she already knew a lot about.

Biology?

Piece of cake.

She'd already read everything she could get her hand son concerning that, and not just biology. Any type of science, June loved . . . She wanted to learn it all and know everything there was about the world.

"Come on, sweetie. You're going to be late."

June sighed and rolled out of bed. After rubbing her eyes, she quietly padded towards the bathroom in order to brush her teeth. Rebecca shook her head and suppressed another smile. June should be fine now. She proceeded into the small kitchen of their apartment, and took the whistling kettle off the stove. Pouring the steaming water over a tea bag, she turned off the stove and then poured another cup for June. As the tea soaked into the hot water, she pulled the milk out of the fridge and the sugar out of the cupboard. Then, she put to pieces of bread in the toaster.

June shuffled into the kitchen, a book under her arm. She sat down at a bar stool and opened it in.

"What's that?" Rebecca asked, walking over with a cup of tea.

She placed it in front of June as June lifted the cover of the book for her mother to see.

"Clockwork Orange? Don't you think you're a little bit young to be reading that?"

"You tell me about your cases and all the scum bags you deal with all the time. I think I can handle that."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow and tried to keep a firm face, but a slow smile crept across her face. She shook her head and took a sip of her tea. When the toaster finished toasting the bread, Rebecca out the two slices on a napkin and handed it to her daughter. June smiled gratefully. Rebecca glanced up at the clock hanging over the door to the kitchen and gasped.

"Honey, I'm running super late. I've got to go!"

Rebecca silently thanked herself for getting up early and getting dressed. She grabbed her jacket, which was hanging over one of the barstools. She then kissed June on the head.

"Your lunch is in the fridge—And straight home after school. Love you!"

With that, she darted towards the door, grabbing her messenger on the way back.

Being a lawyer, she had a very busy schedule, which required her to work long hours. Sometimes, it really bugged her, especially since that was time where she was not able to spend time with June, but it had to be done. Rebecca did like her job though. As a defense lawyer, she enjoyed delving into people's stories, analyzing what happened and finding out the truth. Although these people were often guilty, many of them were innocent, misunderstood and taken advantage of. Rebecca believed that people get used to a certain perspective and had trouble changing the filter that showed them their reality. Sometimes, the filter the saw life through was the wrong one.

One thing Rebecca always made sure of was that she never took people who could pay their way out of their situation. Rich clientes were snobby and got their way almost always in a court of law. It was the underdogs, the people who were seen as disgusting and vile that she worked for. Of course, she got paid, usually by a relative. She had managed to build a business, and at the age of thirty, she was successful.

When she reached her office, she let out a deep breath, thankful that she had made it before her 8 AM deadline. She plunked down on her chair, and pulled it towards her desk. After situating herself, she pulled open her laptop in order to read all the emails she got over the night. Right now, she was between clients and several requests were coming in. Normally, she would only work on one or two cases at a time because she wanted to put her full focus on getting her clients out of their charges. Sadly, that meant she would have to turn down some people. She brushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes, and closed her brown eyes for a split second, trying to pour her energy and concentration in all the information she was about to read.

She compared cases for an hour, reading up on the various alleged crimes. When she was reading a file on a shooting in Manhattan, she heard a knock on her door. She sighed and closed the file, placing it in her drawer. A quick glance at her planner indicated that she did not have an appointment or meeting for several hours.

"Come in," she called tiredly, sitting up straight.

"Hello?"

A tall figure appeared in the door way, walking into her office briskly. Rebecca stood up and offered the man a hand, which he shook readily. She flinched a bit for his grip was extremely tight. Besides being tall, he had a lot of shocking features. His blue eyes glittered excitedly, and his face seemed so similar to the many faces that had walked into her office before . . . Tired ones, ones that felt like they had nowhere else to go. Under the façade of pretty blue eyes and thick brownish-blonde hair was someone who had a big problem, one that seemed unsolvable.

"I'm Rebecca Lee," she said, sitting back down.

She gestured to a seat across from her desk, which he sat down in quickly.

"I don't believe we had an appointment," she said "What can I help you with?"

The man sighed and rubbed his jaw as if he was in deep thought. His eyes gazed down at a pencil on her desk. He licked his lips nervously, then looked back up at her.

"My name is Steve Rogers and my friend needs a lawyer."

 **Hey Everyone!**

 **Yes! I am starting another fanfiction. I am very excited about where this story is going and I hope you all enjoy it. Just so everyone knows, this story takes place after Captain America: Civil War. It might get a little AUish at some points, but most of the events of Civil War will stay the same.**

 **Please follow/favorite/review! Those three things mean the world to me!**

 **Much Love,**

 **gotmoreissuesthanvogue**


	2. Chapter 2

Rebecca leaned forward, picking up a pencil and banging it on the table idly.

"Steve Rogers? As in Captain America?"

Steve nodded politely and smiled a faint smile.

"Your friend? Excuse me for being too inquisitive, but is this friend—the Winter Soldier?"

"Yes . . . Look, I get why that might seem a little scary, being an assassin and all, but I am sure if you talk to him . . ."

"I don't mean to cut you off, but I'm curious. You guys came back from where you were hiding. I remember hearing that you broke the rest of the Avengers out of prison. Then you came back—I remember hearing that, but I'm not sure why."

Steve didn't respond, his big blue eyes blinking open and shut, their colors scattering and reconnecting in the matter of milliseconds. Rebecca worried that she had intimidated the super soldier, asking too much too quickly. Hell, she hadn't even accepted the case. Still, that nagging sense of curiosity was on fire, and her need for answers grew larger and larger.

"We made a deal actually . . . a trade, in a way . . . Bucky said that he would allow himself to be taken into U.S. custody, so that the rest of Avengers could go back to their homes without criminal charges. Bucky needs a lawyer though. One of the trials is coming up, and he needs a good and experienced lawyer."

Rebecca nodded slowly and raised the pencil to her mouth, and started chewing on the eraser. Part of her wanted to take the case . . . I mean, how cool would that be? Nothing would be as thrilling as to defend one of the most dangerous people in the world. The impulsive side of her demanded that she take the case right away, but the logical side of her said she had to think about it. This case would be a million times harder than any other she would take because there was basically definite proof against the Winter Soldier. Not that she knew the details . . . In fact, she had made a point not to learn too much about the Winter Soldier or the Avengers in general. Of course, she heard so much about them from everyone else, so she knew the basics.

"Wow! You know that that action can be viewed as a confession in a court of law, right?"

"I know. We told him that but he couldn't bear to keep Clint and Scott away from their families."

"Clint and Scott?"

"Uh, sorry. Secret identity stuff."

"Has he decided which way to plea?"

"Not guilty."

"Has he thought about under what terms?"

"I don't really know what defense we could come up with, besides the fact HYDRA brainwashed him."

"This could be difficult, sir, and I don't mean to be discouraging, but unless you have physical proof of the brainwashing or the technology used, that could be hard to prove."

Steve nodded slightly.

"I've heard of people arguing with the defense of Stockholm Syndrome, but since that's not scientifically provable—"

"Have you thought that that could be the reason he did that though?"

"I doubt it."

"What about insanity?"

"I can't say what a good defense would be right off the bat. I'd have to look at what he did exactly."

"I can get you some files."

"That sounds great."

Rebecca paused and slowly started tapping her fingers on the table. Obviously, this was the case of a life time, but she had to think this through. If the Winter Soldier plead guilty, she could get him out in a couple years, or even better, have him sent to a hospital where he could be rehabilitated. That process would be long, but at least it would be better than sitting in a cell for the rest of his life. That would be a long time to sit, all alone and with no one to share your burden with. The Winter Soldier was a super soldier, which meant close to eternity in jail . . .

Imagine that . . .

"Is he aware of what he's done?"

"Excuse me?"

"Is he aware? Does he know that all the killings—all the assassinations were wrong?"

Steve Rogers frowned, his eye brows furrowing up. He wasn't sure what Rebecca was suggesting. To him, Bucky was clearly innocent . . . Bucky's mind wasn't behind them all. It had been manipulated and pulled at until there was barely anything there.

"He didn't do anything wrong. He was brainwashed."

"I may not know every detail about this case yet, but I do know he physically killed these people. He shot them, he strangled them, he beat them to death."

"But—"

"This case isn't about proof of attack, or a case of proof of intent. This case is about HYDRA."

"I—"

"We can't prove his innocence because, technically speaking, he is guilty. A case could possibly be made to revert the blame to someone else . . . To show that he was a puppet. We need to show proof of manipulation."

"That shouldn't be too hard."

"Do you know how they did this? Why? When? Where?"

"I know a little bit, and all of it I learned from him. Unfortunately he doesn't remember a lot."

"And not to be insensitive, but you guys are from the forties. I heard about the train incident where he lost his arm. I'm sure a bulk of the brainwashing happened shortly after that. The people who did it might not be alive or traceable. Do you see how this might be challenging?"

"Does that mean you won't accept?"

"I don't know yet."

"I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me."

Rebecca nodded and stood up.

"Thank you for coming, Captain Rogers," she said clearly "I have to think about this and do a little research. I'll get back to you tomorrow, okay?"

xxxxxxxx

As soon as Rebecca walked through her apartment doors, she kicked off her heels and sighed. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a brief second, trying to appreciate a bit of silence before she had to cook dinner. After waiting a minute, she opened her eyes and walked into the living area. There, lying on the wooden floor, was June, who was coloring on a piece of paper.

"Hey, honey! How was school?"

"Alright. We're going on a field trip in a few weeks. I left the permission slip on the kitchen counter."

"Thank you."

Rebecca plopped down on the floor next to her daughter and looked at the picture. It was a picture of a house, surrounded by a lush and colorful garden. Smoke was coming out of the chimney and two figures sat on the front porch in rocking chairs. Rebecca smiled faintly at the image. She already was familiar with this picture. June drew it every so often, and it always gave Rebecca a sinking feeling in her chest. Her daughter never loved city life . . . She never complained, but it was evident to Rebecca that June would prefer to live in a more agricultural setting. June was always fascinated with farming and country life. She read Little House on the Prairie avidly, and re-read them at least once a year.

"Nice picture," Rebecca commented "When you're done, let's hang it on the fridge."

"Sure . . . How was work?"

"Interesting actually. I'd like to ask your opinion on it."

"Shoot."

"So there's this guy, who did some really bad stuff, okay?"

"The usual?"

"Well, not exactly. The thing is, this guy did all these terrible things, but it wasn't his fault."

"So you know that he is definitely not innocent?"

"He might be. Someone else got in his head supposedly. Telling him what to do. This guy wasn't in his right mind when he—"

"Killed people?"

"Well, that is one of the things."

"Will you take the case?"

"I want to. It just seems like it might be hard."

"Why?"

"How on Earth can I prove that he's been brainwashed?"

"What's stopping you?"

Rebecca laughed and shook her head.

"I don't know, Junie. I really don't know."

"I say you do it."

"Why?"

"Because you wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't want to take it."

"You are wise beyond your years, honey."

"Will you take it?"

Rebecca smiled.

"In celebration of my new case, let's go out to get dinner. Anywhere you want."

June's eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet.

"Really?" she shrieked in excitement.

They didn't go out to eat often, mainly because they didn't have the time to on many nights.

"Sure! Where'd you like to go?"

"Burger Heaven!"

"Sure thing. Just let me grab my purse."

Rebecca's body filled with excitement as she grabbed her bag and a pair of grey flats. When she came back to the living room, she saw June putting on a pair of shoes. As she walked over to her daughter, purse in hand, her phone rang in her back pocket. She pulled it out and glanced on the screen for a split second.

***-**-**** **: We need to talk.**

 **Author Note:**

 **Hey Everyone! Thanks for reading chapter two! I really hope you enjoyed it. There's a lot to be excited about with this story and I can't wait for you all to read it. I have some good stuff coming up. I must say that this is interesting for me to wtch because when I watched the Civil War, I was team Iron Man.**

 **Next chapter will be Rebecca talking to Bucky for the first time.**

 **Please follow/favorite and review! All that stuff makes me SO happy!**

 **Much Love,**

 **gotmoreissuesthanvogue**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Rebecca left bright and early in order to get to the prison on time. The train ride would be a long one, since she'd have to switch from line to line. As she settled down into her seat, a rare find on the subway, she pictured the Winter Soldier. She had spent the entirety of last night reading up on him, and looking at various pictures from his life. Her favorite was one of him was from the forties, which was taken shortly before his last mission with them. He was carrying a gun, and had a brave smile plastered on his face. Everything about him exuded confidence and poise. It was hard to imagine that he was like that because when she looked at the recent pictures, he looked tired and shattered on the inside, something which she pitied.

The train ride went quickly due to the fact she was so lost in her thoughts. She had a lot to think about. Her hand instinctively brushed over her messenger bag that contained his file as well as some other things she'd been working on last night. On her other side, there was another bag, smaller than her messenger. It contained her small video camera as well as a tripod. Although her questioning would be filmed by the state, she liked to have a copy of her own on the ready when she needed it.

For today, she just wanted to get some groundwork done. She had a list of questions to ask him, simple ones that would establish what he remembered and what he knew about HYDRA in general.

Rebecca sucked in a deep breath as her heart started to pound rapidly. None of her other cases had been as big as this one. Working with the Winter Soldier blew every other case out of the water. Of course, that made her nervous. A passionate desire to get this man out of prison was growing in her, and the idea that she might fail already seemed horrifying. She chided herself for being so dramatic. After all, she hadn't even really started.

When the train finally lurched into the station she needed to get off at, she jumped up and darted out onto the platform as soon as the doors opened. The air around her was hot and smelly, not unexpected for a New York train station. She proceeded to the exit, climbing up the stairs as fast as she could. As soon as she reached the top, she stopped for a split second, gathering her thoughts. The sun was not bright today for a grey cloud covered most of the city. Rebecca cured under her breath, disappointed that she had forgotten to bring an umbrella. She then shrugged, and wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped out into the cold wind. The air was cool and oddly refreshing, strikingly different than the air in the subway station.

Rebecca only had to walk a few blocks before she reached the prison. It was a tall, gloomy building, surrounded by high fences and watch towers that peered down into the place. Guards paced around the perimeter. She walked up the steps towards the door, which opened automatically as she came near them. Rebecca took in the lobby, which consisted of a front desk and nothing else. She walked to the desk and smiled when she reached it.

"Hi, I'm here to see James Barnes," she said, trying to squeeze every ounce of confidence she had into her voice.

The person at the front desk, a middle aged fellow with a bald spot developing on his head, glanced at her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow and turning to his colleague. The women sitting next to him was maybe in her forties and was lean and in impeccable shape.

"I'm his lawyer," Rebecca clarified.

"Oh yes," The lady said snappily "We were told you were coming."

Rebecca blinked but nodded obediently. The man handed her a bucket, in order for her to put her bags in so they could be searched.

"So you're talking on that crazy assassin guy, huh?" the man asked, scratching his head.

"Yes, sir," Rebecca replied icily, already telling that the man was doubting her. The way he spoke seemed rude to Rebecca, but she decided not to say anything.

The woman pushed Rebecca's bags through a scanner, and gestured at Rebecca, telling her to come over to her. They went to a small room behind the desk, where the lady took a security wand, and scanned Rebecca's body.

"You're the first visitor he's had that isn't Captain Rogers."

"Really"

"Yeah. You can't imagine that there is a whole line of people that want to visit him. He's being seen through some pretty ugly lenses."

"Have you seen him?" Rebecca asked.

"Once or twice. He seemed pitiful, like he was lost."

Rebecca didn't respond that. She simply collected her bags, and quickly thanked the security lady. The security lady then led her to the room where she would be questioning him. It was a rather large room with a large metal table which was bolted to the floor. On either side were two chairs that were also bolted to the floor.

"Barnes will be in her shortly," the security lady told her "Set up your camera wherever you like and he will be in here soon."

With that, the security lady left.

Rebecca go to work, setting up her camera, making sure that it would be facing the Winter Soldier's face. She clicked the record button and checked it to make sure it wouldn't shut off. After finalizing that, she sat down in the chair facing away from the camera and waited.

It was only a few minutes before three guards walked in, one of them leading the Winter Soldier. Rebecca jumped to her feet and smiled a faintly smile. The guards chained his hands to the table, tugging on the binds to make sure they were secure. Rebecca swallowed and smiled as best as she could.

"If you need us, press this buzzer," one of the guards told her, handing her a small device.

It was round with a large red button in the center. On the back of it was a clip so that she could pin it onto her clothing.

"I'm sure it won't be necessary," she replied sweetly as she handed the device back to the guard.

The guard frowned and slowly took the device out of her hand. He glanced at the Winter Soldier, sighing a little bit to himself. He then left the room, followed by the two other guards.

Rebecca's gaze reverted back to the Winter Soldier. His shoulders were hunched and his face was bent towards his hands, which were securely fastened to the table. He wore the typical orange prison suit, which was glaringly ugly in the room's light. His metal fingers peaked out from the sleeves. Long, matted brown hair fell into his eyes, which Rebecca knew were a bright blue. His fingers played with the chain, running along their cold surface.

"Hi, I'm Rebecca Lee. Your friend Steve hired me to be your lawyer," Rebecca said, her voice rushed.

The Winter Soldier looked up at her and stared.

She was right.

His eyes were blue.

"What would you like me to call you? Sergeant Barnes? James? Or Bucky even?"

"James is fine," the Winter Soldier responded.

"Perfect!"

She put her messenger bag on the table and pulled out his file, along with a notepad.

"Just for you to know, I am recording this," she told him as she pointed to the camera "So I can look back and watch this interview if I need to."

"I guess that's fine."

"I know this all seems really crazy with the upcoming trial and all, but I am confident that we can make it through this—"

"It's not crazy," James cut in "If I could have remembered the day before, I would have known this was coming for a long time now."

"Can I ask some questions? It's okay if you don't know all the answers. I just want to hear what you know."

James nodded.

"Do you remember falling off the train?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"I feel. I was reaching up to grab—uh—Steve's hand, but I couldn't and I—I fell. I remember hitting the ground . . . And the first thing that went through my head was—uh—why am I not dead?—Then I don't remember what happened after that."

"Do you remember losing your arm?"

"N—No, but I—I kind of remember the surgery. It was all in a daze. I can't see it too clearly."

"Then they brainwashed you?"

"I don't know."

"When did you first got in the cryo?"

"I don't know. All the memories have blurred together now."

"Do you remember knowing anyone outside of your captors? Maybe a friend? A fellow prisoner?"

James smiled lightly, then quickly started to frown.

"There was one person—a spy—a girl I knew. She was my friend—I think—I don't really remember."

"Do you know her name?"

"No."

"Can you describe her to me?"

"I—She was tall and fast—She could take me down in a fight and—"

"What did she look like?"

"She had—hair. I—I think I can see her, but I can't describe—"

"Did she work with HYDRA?"

"No—No. Not at all," James almost shouted. He then stopped and sighed "She was KGB—I think. That's all I remember. I wish I knew more, but I don't."

Rebecca could tell that the super soldier was getting frustrated at his lack of memories. She pitied him, knowing that the burden he carried must be impossibly large. Not knowing bits of your history seemed to be enough to drive a person mad.

"How about you tell me about what you remember, but this time, it can be about anything . . . Even if it's not related to your case. Hopefully that will help jog some of your other memories."

Bucky nodded.

She silently prayed that he would remember soon. If he remembered a name or a place, she could do some research and get some evidence. She would have to take this slow though. This defendant was unlike any other she had before.

Patience would be key.

Even if it did drive her crazy.

 _To Be Continued . . ._


	4. Chapter 4

Rebecca took a sip of her coffee, relishing the warm and comforting taste. She set the cup down and smiled as her friend sat down in front of her, coffee cup in hand.

It was not uncommon for her to talk about her cases with other lawyers, especially the ones that were experienced. She liked advice because sometimes she got that obnoxious feeling of being in over her head, which is what she felt now. James was a sweet guy who, although intimidating, actually seemed sweet . . . and desperate. It only took a few seconds to realize that he wanted out and that he was beyond frustrated that he couldn't help by remembering a whole lot.

Rebecca and Bucky talked for what seemed like hours, going around in circles, getting very little information. Small pieces of his life decades before were vibrant and clear. He told Rebecca about his parents, his home, and his culture. He told her about the pretty girls he'd ask out and the adventures he had with Steve in the Howling Commandos. He even remembered being tortured by HYDRA before being rescued by Steve. Those memories were all in a blur, most likely because he was under the influence of some kind of drug. Of course, the memories were cool to hear, but they would be insignificant in building an actual defense case.

When she told Steve this, he sighed, his shoulders sagging a little bit. Rebecca tried to remain cheerful, telling the veteran that there was still a lot of hope. James might remember something, she told him, and she might be able to uncover some information through old fashioned research. Her heart felt heavy though; she didn't want to let these men out of time down.

She did some research regarding the girl James mentioned, but the answers were few and far between. Most of them were dead ends or didn't make any sense. The fact that there were answers at all about people working for the KGB was a miracle, especially since the organization was so secretive.

It would be good to talk to one of her buddies about this. They didn't get to hang out a lot anymore, mainly because the both of them were busy defense lawyers, saving the unfortunate from the somewhat unfair arms of justice.

He'd just finished his own big case, which, from what he told her, was somewhat chaotic. Maybe his work on that big murder case would inspire her with some ideas . . . Or maybe he himself would have some ideas. After all, Matt Murdock was a brilliant guy.

Meeting up in coffee shops had been something they did in law school to help them study. Often, Matt would need help reading textbooks because a lot of them didn't come in braille. For a blind guy though, he was observant. He picked up on all sorts of ques that simply slip past her line of vision. It often made her wonder how he could do that. She figured that he had to learn how to adapt after he lost his vision when he was a boy.

She met him when she was dating a good friend of his, Foggy. They would all go hit the bar together, consuming an uncanny amount of shots, getting so drunk that they could barely walk home. One of them would eventually hail a cab and they would all go back to their dorms, barely able to see straight (at least for the ones that could see, that is.)

When Rebecca broke up with Foggy, they grew apart, still friends but somewhat distant. She remained good friends with Matt though, even when he got preoccupied with his various girlfriends.

After graduation, they were still friends, but the business of being a young lawyer set in. The occasional text and phone call kept them in touch, but it wasn't until they resumed their coffee meet ups that they became close again.

She smiled at Matt as he sat down, resting his cane against the table.

"You should really get a dog," Rebecca commented, allowing a small giggle to escape her lips.

"You wish," Matt quipped, a small smile spreading across his lips.

Rebecca scoffed and took another sip of coffee.

"Oh please, it would be the first normal thing you'd ever do."

"I'm not so sure about that . . . law school is a normal thing, right?"

"Being considered a crazy lawyer isn't though."

"I guess not, but we can both be crazy lawyers because we both have our innocent mass murderers."

"Does Frank Castle have a superhero best friend?"

"No. Sadly, I think the guy has no one."

Rebecca arched an eyebrow and sighed.

"I'm an idiot for taking the case, huh?"

"Depends on how you look at it."

"I need some advice or some encouragement or something."

"You obviously talked to him, right?"

"Yes. He's a sincere guy, but he doesn't remember anything of relevance. HYDRA apparently erased so many memories for his mind and he's having trouble summoning them back."

"So there's nothing?"

"There's a KGB agent that he knew, a woman who he considered his friend."

"Did he give a physical description?"

"He recalled her being tall and fast. He said she could easily take him down in a fight. I guess she was a spy . . . The thing is, there's not a lot of information about the KGB spies. The organization was so secretive in some aspects, which means there are very few records indicating that KGB spies worked with the Winter Soldier or of KGB spies in general. I even talked to Captain America himself to see if he had any kind of an idea, but he didn't."

Matt frowned.

"So no memories of missions he might have done with this woman? Or anything?"

"No."

Matt leaned back in his chair, and reached up to adjust the redish-lensed glasses he had covering his eyes. Rebecca knew that look. He was thinking, trying to come up with a solution. He was probably listening to all the noises around him, analyzing and processing, using it to come up with the best answer possible.

"Do you remember the incident in Washington D.C.?"

"Which one?"

Matt laughed.

"The one with the aircraft crashing into the Potomac River?"

"That's when the Winter Soldier was seen fighting Captain America in the streets . . . I remember that."

"That did happen, but that's not what I was thinking of."

"What then?"

Matt took another sip of his coffee.

"Don't torture me, Matthew Murdock!"

The blind lawyer chuckled and set his coffee down.

"I'm thinking of the leaks, the ones for SHIELD that told everyone about all the dirty stuff they'd been up to."

Rebecca groaned and flopped back into her chair.

"I remember reading them, or, well, having Foggy read them to me. We were both in shock, knowing that this sort of stuff could happen, something this big. The fact that so much slipped through this organizations fingers was alarming. As you know, the general population was upset and concerned, but also fascinated, particularly by the woman who leaked them. She basically told SHIELD to kiss her ass. It was amazing."

"She threw herself under the bus though. Everyone knew about all the horrid things she did before and—"

"What did the files say about her?"

"All sorts of stuff . . . You know, her crimes, her assassinations, her affiliations—"

Rebecca's voice trailed off and her eyes widened. A stupid grin spread across her face. Matt smiled back at her, his inquisitive face pointed in her direction.

"You are the greatest lawyer I've ever met," she told him.

"And the poorest," he added.

"I should try to talk to the Black Widow. She might know something, you know, about an agent who might have worked with HYDRA or the Winter Soldier. She was one of their best spies before she went solo!"

"Don't get too excited," Matt told her "You don't want the whole Starbucks to hear what you're saying."

Rebecca stifled a laugh and leaned forward.

"Sorry."

They continued talking about the case for an hour, discussing what they knew and how she planned to go forward. He then asked about June, whom Rebecca eagerly told him about. She asked about Foggy and Karen, another one of Matt's coworkers.

Eventually, the left the coffee shop, hugging each other briefly before they headed back to their apartments.

Rebecca couldn't rid her face of the hopeful smile that played across her lips. When she got home, she saw June, perched on the couch, reading a book. She looked at her mother as she walked in.

"How's Mr. Matt?" June asked sweetly as she set he book down, walking to where her mother was.

"He's good, baby girl. He's good . . . Let me take my heels off and I'll tell you all about it while I make dinner."

June nodded and went back to her book.

Rebecca walked into her bedroom, kicking her heels into the corner. She flopped down on her bed and took off her blazer, tossing it onto a chair sitting near her desk. She plugged her phone into its charger, the screen lighting up, revealing a text she must not have heard the notification for.

***-***-****: **We need to talk. Lunch?**

 **A/N:**

 **Hey Guys! Sorry for the delay. I've been find of busy, especially with all the traveling and the college prep. I'm also studying to take the ACT one more time. Bleh.**

 **I know that there is no Bucky in this chapter, but I hope I made it up to you all by adding a little Matt Murdock. I'm obsessed with Marvel's Netflix shows, especially Daredevil (he's freaking awesome.) I thought I'd be cool if they knew each other (No, Rebecca doesn't know that he's Daredevil. She'd probably flip out.) And yes, there was a nod in there to Frank Castle (I am so excited for his own show!)**

 **I hope you all enjoy and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!**

 **Much Love,**

 **gotmoreissuesthanvogue**


	5. Chapter 5

"Natasha? You think Natasha was around during the 60s?" Steve asked, leaning towards her, his eyes wide with disbelief "That's not possible. She's too young."

"What'd you mean?"

"She's not that old . . . Maybe thirty? Max?"

"Steve, her files said she worked for the KGB. The KGB went out of operation in 1991. If she was thirty, she would have been born in 1987. She would have been in elementary school at the time it ended."

"How did SHIELD not know this? The SHIELD file said she was in KGB. Are you saying they didn't make that very obvious connection?"

"They probably knew, but just decided to look over it."

"If she really is from the height of the Soviet Union, how did she stay so young? She didn't take the super soldier serum. We saw all the people who were given the procedure; they're dead."

"There could have been another serum . . . An anti-aging serum is possible."

"You're sure Natasha knew Bucky?"

"No . . . I actually doubt they knew each other personally. I'm sure she heard the legends, the stories about the Winter Soldier. She might have seen him, and since she's so young but is apparently so old, there is a chance that she could speak to the experimentation on people put in soviet programs."

Steve nodded, and stood up. Rebecca followed suit, and offered the super soldier her hand, who took it gratefully. After he shook it, he let it go and tucked it into one of his pockets. His eyes glittered, making Rebecca believe that he was excited because of the progress.

Yes.

They were making progress.

"I'm going to go talk to Bucky again," Rebecca added "Tomorrow. I'll ask him more about Natasha and possible involvement with the KGB. He will eventually remember. If he can remember the beginning of his life, he can remember what's in between."

She reached to her desk, and pulled out a file. She flipped it open, and pulled out several glossy pictures of Natasha with various outfits and hairstyles.

"I'm going to see if these can jog his memory."

Steve nodded, then let out a deep sigh.

"We have time," Rebecca reassured him "We have our thinking caps on, and we're on the tail of something really good. If you could talk to Natasha, I'd love to set up an interview and see what she knows. A testimony could be very powerful."

"What about Bucky? Will he testify?"

"He's not violent. He probably won't lash out in court."

"Lash out in court?"

"My friend, Matt, was defending a serial murderer who killed a bunch of people that killed his family. He was a vigilante-type guy, but wasn't affiliated with any group. He started yelling and screaming, basically screwed up the defenses entire case."

"Must've been a hell of a guy."

"He was bitter. Bucky is not. If I talk to him about what's appropriate to say and what's not appropriate, he'll be fine."

She put the pictures of Natasha back in the folder and patted his arm.

"Now, I've got to get going. You know, some personal stuff. I'll get back to you right after I talk to Bucky."

"Thanks, ma'am. I appreciate it."

"No problem. You're a good friend, Steve. Bucky is lucky to have you."

He smiled, tilting his head to the side. He then headed towards her office door, closing it tightly behind him with a soft click.

Jessica glanced up at the clock, and seeing that it was getting close to twelve, she grabbed her bag, and grabbing her phone from out of her desk drawer. She left her office, waving at one of her paralegals as she left.

She got on a train and headed east, her heart thrumming in her chest. She clutched her bag close, and tapped her feet on the cool floor of the train. Seconds became minutes and grew longer and longer. When the train screeched into the station she was getting off at, she jumped to her feet and rushed out of the doors. She looked down at her phone and saw the time.

11:55.

She ran up the stairs and out into the light of the city. After walking over one block, she looked up at a little bistro tucked in between two towering buildings. She walked in, looking around for her table.

"Rebecca!"

She turned to the sound of the voice and smiled faintly. The man waved at her, and she walked over, keeping her head up high. The bistro was completely empty, except for a bus boy who wiping a table.

"How are you?" she asked softly.

She was pulled into a brief hug, then he pulled out her chair for her to sit in.

"Thank you for coming, Rebecca," he told her.

"Of course, Tony. That's probably a good idea."

"How's June?"

"Good. She's working on a project about bacteria for her class. She keeps going above and beyond."

Tony nodded and smiled. Rebecca smile back, and then turned to the waiter, who handed them both menus. He seemed nervous and smiled awkwardly at the pair.

"This restaurant is usually so busy."

"I bought it out for the hour."

"Only you would do that, Tony Stark," Rebecca scoffed "What do you want to talk about? You apparently had something urgent to say."

Tony cleared his throat and slumped back in his chair. Rebecca eye's narrowed. She'd known Tony for a long time now, fifteen years to be exact. At first they were really good friends, but then things—well—fell apart. They talked every once and a while, but it was never in a super friendly way. They'd got into an argument, and the aftermath hadn't been pretty. He then got kidnapped, and became the Iron Man, making the rift between them even bigger.

She'd been watching his involvement with the Avengers ever since the group started, curious and anxious about what would happen to Tony. Ever since the Sokovia Accords were put in place, she got a little more nervous. With every press conference or paparazzi sighting, he seemed more tired and worn down. Rebecca might not be on the best terms with him, but she still worried.

"Here's the thing, Becca."

"It's Rebecca."

"Sorry . . . You see, the word around town is that you've picked up a pretty big case."

Rebecca shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Tony groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a lawyer and that's my job."

"Your job is to defend Barnes? Are you shitting me?"

"Look, I don't want to talk about this with you. You know I can't. It compromises—"

"Are you doing this just to spite me?"

"No! I'm doing this because I believe in this case!"

"You're aware I'm pressing charges against him."

"Of course I am."

"This case can't hold up in a court of law. You being on Barnes legal team in a conflict of interest. You can't defend him."

"Who says it's a conflict of interest?"

"I do. And so will everyone else when I expose you—"

"Are you black mailing me?"

"Of course not. I'm just giving you a little advice. Give the case up and give it to one of your friends. Like those guys from Nelson and Murdock."

"No. Steve came to me."

"Steve came to you? Oh god."

He ran his hands through his hair.

"I'll do what you asked last time we talked."

Rebecca grabbed her purse and stood to her feet.

"I'm not to be bribed by you, Tony," she hissed "You can't stop me or my work. Don't talk to me again."

"What about June?"

"What about her?"

"What will she say? You going against her—"

"Enough. I'm leaving. I'll see you in court."

With that, she stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Tony at the table. As she ran down the street, tears threatened to trickle out of her eyes. She looked up at the cloudy sky and let out a deep breath. Fumbling around, she pulled her phone out and called June, telling her she would be home soon.

"Are you okay, mommy?" June asked "It's not time for you to come home yet."

"I know, I know," she replied "I just need to see you."

"Okay," June said quietly "Happy Saturday."

"Happy Saturday."

 **Hey Guys!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this update. Things are getting really interesting now!**

 **Leave a comment!**

 **Much Love,**

 **gotmoreissuesthanvogue**


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